


Tiger, Tiger

by Derek_the_Dalek



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus, BAMF Remus, Bad language-loads of it., Character Bashing, F/M, Familiars, M/M, Manipulative Dumbledore, OoC Snape, Sarcastic Harry, Set in HBP but not canon at all, Slow To Update, Snape is not an asshole, Snape is pretty cool, Underage Drinking, Voldemort drinks, WIP, mentions of past physical abuse, morally and magically grey! Harry, ooc draco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2015-06-21
Packaged: 2018-01-14 04:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1253647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Derek_the_Dalek/pseuds/Derek_the_Dalek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an Animagus potion gone wrong, Harry becomes a tiger and is unable to change back. Though, without the weight of the world on his shoulders, Harry enjoys his new body, until something happens to make him go back to Hogwarts in the possession of Draco Malfoy. HBP year though ignoring everything. Gay shit, bad language and the like.</p><p>WIP - Possibly never to be updated again! READ AT OWN RISK!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In which an owl is lonely

**Author's Note:**

> Fixed the italics on the mental thoughts. If I missed one, drop me a line :)

I don’t own Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling or the poem ‘Tyger, Tyger’ by William Blake.

 

Tyger, tyger, burning bright,  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies,  
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  
On what wings dare he aspire?  
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art,  
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?  
And when thy heart began to beat,  
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain?  
In what furnace was thy brain?  
What the anvil? What dread grasp,  
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,  
And water'd heaven with their tears,  
Did He smile His work to see?  
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright,  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

 

The huge paws glided across the leaf litter, practically silently, towards his prey, towards his new home, towards his new future.

 

The huge and beautiful orange Siberian tiger prowled through the undergrowth, a snarl silently etched on his face, forest green eyes that were streaked with silver locked on the herd of grazing deer, unaware of the trap that had been set for the striped creature. It was an extremely rare sight, even where tigers were a part of the natural ecosystem, it was just plain absurd to see 800lb tiger stalking deer in the British country side. 

The tiger itself wasn’t actually a tiger, but one Mr Harry Potter, who rather enjoyed the taste of wild deer due to the rather ‘unfortunate’ potion accident he had back at the Dursleys. The potion was supposed to let him get a feel of his Animagus body for ten minutes and change him back to human again, but Harry was unable to change back. 

At first, Harry tried desperately to change back, completely trashing the Dursleys kitchen with his frequent magical outbursts. Harry’s magic had exploded from his new muscular body shattering all of his Aunts sparkling bone china and windows and knocking over everything. After his magic retreated back into his body, after about an hour of thrashing and roaring (the Dursleys had been out and thankfully hadn't seen Harry’s new body) he stopped. He hated Dumbledore and his manipulative ways, he hated Ron and his glory seeking attitude, he hated Hermione and her know it all personality. In fact, the only Gryffindors he could stand were Neville, Dean and Seamus and some of the Quiddich team. Harry could see a golden opportunity to be free of Dumbledore’s clutches forever. 

Harry came to a stop, dispelling the thoughts that could distract him while he hunted, and began looking for a weak link in the rather large herd. On the outskirts of the herd, Harry saw a younger stag grazing, one which was limping slightly, dried blood matting the doomed creatures back leg. Harry locked onto his target, knowing that he had to get closer or the chosen prey would be able to get away, injured leg or not. 

Harry stalked through the long grass, his heavy paws brushing over the ground almost silently. His ears were pricked in the warm summer evening air, turned towards the young buck. Harry almost felt remorseful for having to take this animals life, but he was higher up on the food chain and very, very hungry. Even so, Harry felt a small pang of what felt like annoyance for the almost guilt for having killed so many deer, which is what his father’s Animagus form had been. Harry had wanted to be a stag at first but once he had felt the pure, raw power of his new body, there was no going back.

When he was close enough, only thirty meters or so away from the intended target, Harry broke into a mad but graceful sprint, the last rays on the evening sun glinting off his striped coat. The terrified deer herd bolted in every direction, looking out only for themselves bar the does with young fawns at their side. That was the only rule Harry followed No mums and babies. Even if it was only a deer, he didn’t want to orphan anything. 

The chosen prey managed only five panicked leaps before Harry had his claws on the buck’s hind legs. The young deer bellowed in pain, squirming under the tiger. Harry didn’t bit down on the creature’s neck though; he thought he could feel eyes watching his every move. His eyes flickered through the brush surrounding him, but he couldn’t see or smell anyone or anything. Dismissing the feeling with a growl that rumbled his chest, his large, sharp, gleaming white canines ripped into the flesh of the deer. 

Instantly, Harry knew something was wrong. The blood didn’t taste of blood, it tasted like-

Harry’s eyes widened before drooping, he stumbled away from the now dead buck, shaking his large head. The deer’s blood had been laced with sleeping potion, and a strong one at that. Harry fought the drowsiness, failing, and finally collapsed onto the ground. 

In a half-assed attempt to fight the potion Harry opened an eye forcefully only to see large tattooed man looming over him. With a semi- malicious smile, the man bent down to Harry’s head and whispered “Brilliant.”

Harry’s last thought before he blacked out completely was 'Oh yes, just bloody brilliant.'

 

The day Harry went furry…

 

“What do you mean, you can’t find him, because if this is just another attempt to pass off your duties to another Member-”

“BLOODY HELL WOMAN! HE’S NOT AT THE DURSLEYS! ALL HIS CLOTHES AND BOOKS AND EVEN HIS RUDDY OWL WERE STILL IN HIS ROOM ALONG WITH HIS WAND!” Mundungus Fletcher screamed at the red haired mollycoddling woman who stood shocked in front of him, hands gripping her patched apron. They were in the middle of an Order meeting at the Burrow when ‘Dung had apparated in screaming that Harry Potter, the Chosen one, Dumbledore’s golden boy, was missing. 

Dumbledore sat at the head of the table, his face grave and said “Did you see him leave?”

“No, all I heard was a crash and then I was knocked out. It was magic Albus, the boy’s magic that knocked me out. By the time I came to, which was nearly two hours later, the kitchen was practically non-existent and the rest of the house was in tatters, probably from the magic outburst.” Mundungus did in fact look worse for wear. His head had a huge egg sized lump on it and his lip was torn and bloody and he was covered in dust. 

“Perhaps he stepped out for a bit?” Remus obviously didn’t even believe himself. Severus Snape snorted “And decided before he stepped out for a bit that he wanted to blow up the house?” he sneered. “Most likely he blew himself up.” He was obviously trying not to sound too pleased. 

Dumbledore frowned. “What time was it when you heard the crash Mr Fletcher?” ‘Dung frowned and scratched the back of his head before wincing. “’Bout three hours ago I suppose. I looked around the house a bit as well, mind you.” 

Dumbledore frowned even more deeply, the practically constant twinkle in his eyes blue non-existent. He loved the boy, or rather; he loved what the boy would come to do. “So it looked like he vanished, other than the fact everything was still there?” ‘Dung nodded unhappily.

An uneasy silence fell upon the meeting, until Molly broke down, sobs shaking her body “Oh Merlin, where do you think he is Albus? He’s had such a hard childhood and now he’s gone!” she wailed. Dumbledore didn’t answer her. Instead he stood, frown still in place, his snow white eyebrows furrowed.

“Alastor, Remus. I need both of you to come with me to check on the Dursleys residence. We have to check for foul play and signs of a struggle. We’ll apparated.” Remus nodded immediately, Alastor slowly, jerkily. “We’ll be back soon. Molly, please refrain from breaking the news Hermione and Ron about this ... slight mishap.” Molly nodded, too upset to realize that Dumbledore called Harry’s probable death a mishap. They were unaware of the identical twins on the other side of the door, both clutching an Extendable Ear in a white knuckled grasp, who silently agreed through raised eyebrows and thin mouths to tell Hermione, but not Ron, or they would all be in big trouble. 

 

 

The Dursleys house was in ruins. All of the windows were shattered, the front door was blown off its hinges; it sat on the perfectly manicured lawn, the chimney was completely destroyed. Dumbledore entered the house, stepping gingerly over the broken glass, Remus and Alastor following behind.

“Dear Merlin, that boy has strong magic.” Alastor said, almost reverently. Remus nodded absentmindedly, gripping his wand even tighter, his knuckles straining against scarred skin. Dumbledore coughed, a sharp sound in the otherwise silent house. They entered the kitchen, or what was left of it. The windows were blown out, as were all the cupboards. The table had somehow implanted itself in the opposite wall, and only Mad eye noticed the slight scorch marks on it. His blue eye swivelled, into the boy’s room. 

His owl was indeed still there, looking quite disgruntled. Harry’s wand was still on the bedside table, on a copy of the Daily Prophet. The school trunk was in the corner, books and parchment littering the floor around it. All of the boy’s potion gear was missing from the trunk. The room was obviously just messy not ruined, somehow protected from any magic the boy may have released, otherwise the owl would be dead and rotting and the room would be in shambles. 

Albus left the kitchen and went into the sitting room. Remus bounded up the unsteady stairs and into Harry’s room, to grab the wand and the owl. Alastor, alone in the kitchen, went over to the table. There was a definite ring where a cauldron had sat, the table unprotected from the flames. Alastor sniffed the table quickly and tried to distinguish the smell. 

Cinnamon, porcupine quills, unicorn horn… Alastor started slightly. It was an Animagus potion, obviously made incorrectly. Either the boy was dead, blown to bits making the potion or he made the potion and drank it, becoming an animal. There was a case at the Ministry a few years back, where all employees, including the Minister and his court, were to become Animagi. One of the potions failed and six employees were turned into animals and no means of magic could change them back. The failed Animagi went home to act like faithful pets to their loved ones, becoming more and more animal with each passing day. Obviously the Ministry covered it up and becoming an Animagus was no longer required.

Alastor waved his wand, casting a quick Death finder spell. The only dead things were the flowers in the back and a rat under the floorboards. So the boy was an animal. Most likely a stag, like his father. But Harry was less arrogant than his father, and much more secretive. So he was probably something small and unnoticeable, like a common bird or a rodent, just hopefully not the one under the floor boards. 

Moody sure as hell wasn't going to tell the Order either, the bunch of bloody nincompoops. He would let Dumbledore figure it out. With a quick non-verbal cleaning spell, the table was spotless, and with that, Alastor scurried out of the room as fast as his wooden leg would allow.


	2. In which a ferret screams Italian

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

 

Harry awoke, groaning. His entire body felt like liquid lead was running through his veins and his head was pounding. All around him was the sound of birds squawking and flapping their wings, dogs barking and howling, pitiful meows, chitter from- monkeys? He opened one eye only to slam it shut again against the blinding light. He shifted around until he could no longer feel the sun on his face. Slowly, he opened his eye again. Cautiously he lifted his head (with great effort) and looked around.

All around him were animals in glass tanks, cages and hutches, windows that opened into the busy streets of Diagon Alley here and there. He himself was in a large glass cage, like one you would see at the zoo just without any foliage or rocks. The cage to Harry’s right held a mountain goat, which made Harry’s stomach twinge slightly. The cage on his left had a sleeping Irish wolfhound. Above the cage across from him was a Jarvey babbling away in Italian, rattling the cage bars annoyingly. Across from him lay a king cheetah with an expression of pure distaste when it looked above Harry’s cage. Looking up Harry saw a capuchin monkey swinging from branch to branch. The second it saw Harry it started screeching and calling to non-existent members of its family. The silence was immediate. The howling and barking, the meowing, the cawing and flapping, the stream of Italian, it all stopped as all eyes turned to the waking tiger. The monkeys call died out as Harry stood and shook the last remains of the sleeping potion off of him. Just to humour himself, Harry roared. A proper ‘I will eat you if you come any closer’ roar. The cheetah echoed Harry’s roar with a rumbling growl, not directed at Harry but to say that he was fully behind Harry. The calls started again, only this time much, much louder. Harry wasn’t exactly happy to be in a cage surrounded by noisy animals but he had a good feeling about this so he decided to sit tight for the time being. He paced up and down, growls still rumbling his striped chest, throwing a Basilisk worthy glare at the irritating Jarvey. 

After two or three minutes an elderly woman came out from a door Harry hadn’t seen. She held a bucket that held food most likely. Harry stopped pacing, and watched her hobble over to his cage, she was crooning softly as she went. 

“Now, gorgeous one, have some chicken. We’re getting some visitors in an hour so you need to look nice and strong.” The woman, who was clearly a witch if her dreadful robes were anything to go by, dropped a dead, plucked, headless chicken in his cage. Harry looked at the chicken then at the woman’s retreating back then at the cheetah then back to the chicken. He was used to eating entire deer not just a measly chicken. He looked back to the cheetah that seemed to be laughing at him. His expression clearly stated don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it. 

Harry found that the minute he swallowed the chicken, his stomach was filled with the glorious taste of fresh, bloody, warm meat and he was full to the top. The chicken was obviously charmed to fill up the animal it was eaten by. Harry could feel his coat being brushed through invisibly and soon he was gleaming, he was guessing another perk to the enchanted chicken. Harry then meandered over to the water bucket that appeared out of thin air. Despite having been a human being for his entire life, Harry couldn’t help but feel happy that he was now an animal. He laid his heavy head down on his massive paws and tried to wait for these visitors in peace, eventually putting a paw over his ears in an attempt to block out the noise of the chattering creatures. 

 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

 

Draco and Blaise stood outside Lady Lukers Fabulously Magic Familiars, a huge shop down Diagon Alley with both their mothers. It specialised in strange and unusual creatures that witches and wizards alike made their familiars. Both of their birthdays (Blaise being older by three days) were in the last week and their mothers chose to get them both familiars. 

Blaise was looking for something powerful and deadly, Draco was looking for something more elegant and regal. Ever since Draco and Blaise had declined the Dark Lord’s offer to become death eaters they had been in danger. Both of their mothers had left their fathers (Mrs Malfoy left Mr Malfoy while Mrs Zabini’s late husband unfortunately mysteriously died a week before leave mountains of gold and shares in some of the biggest and best stores in both magical and muggle London) and they felt that their sons needed some sort of protection while in Hogwarts. Draco and Blaise disagreed, but decided to go along with it to please their distraught and frightened mothers. The poor women had even owled Dumbledore to ask for Familiars to be allowed at Hogwarts, and on Draco’s Hogwarts letter it had at the bottom, along with cats, toads and owls it had said Bonded familiars also allowed.

Sighing slightly, Draco pushed the door open, his nose crinkling slightly at the smell of animal and the tuneless ringing of the bell that alerted everyone and everything in the building to their presence. Howls and squawks could be heard inside the dark blue painted door. Lady Zabini and his Mother entered first, then Blaise who was then followed by Draco. Standing on the opposite side of the door was Lady Luker herself. Draco cringed at her choice of robes; magenta with maroon and teal stars splattered on it. The old woman smiled, flashing a set of crooked teeth. 

Narcissa smiled politely and nodded to the owner. “Lady Luker, we have an eleven o’ clock appointment to see your new wares.” Lady Luker nodded “Yes, yes. My son, who catches the animals also has an appointment now so we will probably bump into them at one point or another.” She then beckoned them to follow her. Draco and Blaise exchanged glances and hurried to follow their guide.

They first went into a room filled with chickens in cages. Lady Luker waved her hand “The chickens are all modified for exterior and interior cleansing of the creatures that eat them. It cleans out the fur to get rid of any Chizpurfles and kills any bacteria on the inside of the animal.” They all nodded, trying to get away from the flurry of feathers. The next room was the pet accessories. Draco and the others would have to come back after they had bought their familiar so they could get the right collars and beds.

Lady Luker then let them into the reptiles. Glass cases lined the walls. In one there was a fire crab, in the next was a gold plated boa. Draco shook his head politely. “We were thinking of bigger, more powerful animals that can move swiftly and silently, if that is alright with you.” Narcissa smiled at Draco’s polite tone. Lady Luker nodded gleefully. “My son brought in a few big animals not three days ago, if you wish to see them Mister Malfoy?” Draco offered a thin lipped smile to the woman and nodded. 

Into the next room they could hear a whinging voice grating on their ears around the corner “But Mu-um, no-one with have a tiger, it’ll protect me.” “No Ron. It’s the better part of 1900 galleons, you know we can’t afford it. Why not get that sweet little monkey.. oh, he’s reserved.” A smothering voice was then heard. Draco and Blaise exchanged gleeful looks. The Weasleys were getting their youngest Weasel male a familiar. 

They rounded the corner to see the Weasel, the Weaselette, Momma Weasel and a tall man with excessive arm tattoos. Ron was red faced and was staring at a huge Siberian tiger longingly. Mrs Weasley was rummaging through her purse, and Ginny was staring slack jawed at who just rounded the corner. The man smiled at Lady Luker, so Draco assumed that this was her son. 

“Mother, these are the Weasleys. Their getting a familiar for Mr Weasley here.” The man said to Lady Luker. Ron finally looked up. His face went very pale, then very green, then very red. Draco smirked and then sauntered over to the tiger cage. The creature was huge, easily 800lb. His eyes were the strangest shade of forest green with silver flecks and gold swirls, perfectly Slytherin, but that just complimented his fur. He gazed straight back at Draco, almost like they were old friends and he was trying to remember Draco’s name. 

“Hey there.” Draco whispered to the magnificent beast lying in front of him. The tiger blinked slowly. It then stood and glided on silent paws over to the cage glass. “Be careful, sir, he’s wild. Probably imported from India for illegal ring fights.” The man warned Draco who didn’t bother correct the man that clearly this magnificent beast was quite clearly a Siberian tiger and not an Indian one. “Is he magic?” Blaise asked. “He has ‘bout the same amount of magic as I do, if not more than me, real powerful, that one.” Draco nodded and whirled around to his mother. 

“This one, please Mother.” Narcissa smiled at Draco’s choice of familiar. Blaise clapped his friend on the shoulder. “What do you think Draco? The mountain goat or the super rare king cheetah?” Draco smirked at Blaise’s fake indecisive guise. “I don’t know Blaise, it’s a really tough choice.” Draco played along, tapping his chin with a manicured nail. “I’ll take the Cheetah please Lady Luker.” Lady Luker chuckled, nodding. 

“If you ladies would come with me so we can arrange the paperwork.” Lady Luker, Lady Zabini and Narcissa walked into another room, leaving Draco and Blaise alone with the Weasleys. “Ron, I’m going to step outside for a minute, go get a Daily Prophet.” Mrs Weasley smiled at her children and hurried out of there. 

The Jarvey chose that moment to scream something out in Italian, making Blaise chuckle. “What?” “She just called you albino.” “I’ll take him.” they turned to look at Ron, who had crossed his arms and had a smug look on his face. “If it insulted Malfoy, then he’s mine.” A growl had them turning back to the tiger, who was throwing green daggers at Ron. Ron stumbled back, surprised. Draco grinned maliciously at Ron “Even a tiger knows you’re beneath me.” Instead of growling, the tiger let out a huffing sound which sounded strangely like a chuckle.

“Well, he has a sense of humour.” Blaise said, smiling. Draco on the other hand looked thoughtful. “He can clearly understand English, spoken at least. I wonder if he can read.” The tiger nodded slowly, as if Draco was stupid. Blaise smiled and turned back to Ron “I find it funny that you’re getting an Italian speaking Jarvey, who clearly can’t understand English, when you use such crude English yourself. Oh, and it’s actually a girl.” Ron glared at Ginny who had smothered a chuckle. Blaise on the other hand winked at the red headed girl who promptly flushed. 

Ron opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the harsh bell at the door. They all looked to the door, surprised to see Lady Longbottom and her grandson. “Neville go chose a pet, dear, I needed to talk to Lucinda (Lady Luker).” Neville nodded and walked slowly toward the group of pure bloods. 

Draco was shocked to see not a bumbling round faced boy who was scared of his own shadow but a grown man, proud and straight backed. He nodded to Ginny , smirked at a red faced Ron, and stared at the two Slytherins for a moment before nodding to them slightly. They returned the greeting, nodding back to him. 

“Come for a familiar Malfoy, Zabini?” he asked quietly, eying the Irish wolfhound. Blaise replied “Just as you are, Longbottom.” Neville looked up and smirked. “Have you chosen yet? I think I’ll go with him.” Neville asked, pointing at the grey dog. Blaise inclined his head toward the cheetah, smiling. Draco waved his hand toward to silent tiger that blinked at Neville. 

 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx


	3. In which paper clogs the air

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

 

Harry looked at his fellow Gryffindors, surprised that there hadn’t been a few fists flying yet. When Neville had entered the scene, unknowingly breaking up the near fight, Harry was surprised at the Slytherins attitude toward Neville. Instead of sneering at him, Draco and Blaise greeted him politely and civilly, instead of snarling like his ‘best friend’ Ron was doing now. “Neville!? What are you doing?! There Death Eaters! They don’t deserve to speak to you!” Neville smirked, a very Malfoy thing to do and raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at the spluttering red head. “But Ron, have you not seen the Daily Prophet for the last, oh I don’t know, week and a half? Malfoy and Zabini refused to join He Who Must Not Be Named. They’re completely neutral.” Neville said to Ron, while Malfoy (Harry’s future master) smirked at Ron behind Neville’s back. 

Ron snarled and took a step forward towards Malfoy. Harry chose this moment to yawn widely, showing his gleaming fangs. Ron glowered at Malfoy’s smug face and crossed his arms. Ginny shifted her feet, her brown eyes darting from one face to the next. The Jarvey chose that moment to scream something in Italian, making Zabini chuckle again. “What is it this time?” Malfoy huffed. Zabini leaned over to Malfoy and, if Harry hadn't been a tiger, he would have never heard the whisper that followed. “She said that she would rather be eaten by the tiger than to go home with the Weasel.” 

Malfoy did something Harry, Ginny, Neville or Ron had never seen him do before. He laughed. A proper belly laugh. Not an amused smirk or a polite chuckle but a proper ‘I probably should stop laughing before I piss myself’ laugh. Zabini sniggered at Ron and Ginny’s shocked expressions. Neville was smirking at them. Malfoy finally stopped and wiped his shining eyes, letting a stray chuckle escape from his pure blood lips, running a hand through his peroxide blonde hair. Zabini coughed to cover a snicker at Malfoy’s messed up hair. 

It was in the awkward moments after that slight cough that Harry decided to make his presence known again by sneezing. The Irish wolfhound awoke with a start at the rather loud sound and bounded over to the bars, where Neville was currently standing. Neville cautiously put his hand through the bars, towards the great grey dog. “Neville Longbottom! What do you think you’re doing!?” A red faced woman who Harry assumed was Augusta Longbottom walked into the room followed by Mrs Malfoy and Lady Zabini. Mrs Longbottom was a formidable looking witch. She was tall, thin and bony. She wore a hat with a stuffed vulture on it and carried a bright red handbag, like the Snape boggart had in Harry’s third year. 

Neville’s eyes widened comically and he whipped his hand away from the bars. Then, his wide eyes narrowed and hardened. “I am picking a familiar, like you instructed Grandmother.” Harry stared at Neville. He had never heard that tone of voice leave the previously blundering boy’s mouth. It was cold and hard, icy, even. Ron, Ginny and the two Slytherins and their mothers looked at Neville in shock but his Grandmother didn’t do anything other than tightening her already thin mouth. 

“Neville, when I said a familiar, I meant something that would make your parents proud, not a mangy mutt.” Neville snarled silently at his grandmothers words. “I wasn’t informed that my familiar was your choice, nor anyone else’s. I choose him.” Neville nodded towards to huge grey dog. “Now if you could go fill out the necessary forms as you are still my legal guardian….unfortunately.” Neville whispered the last bit, and only his fellow class mates and Ginny heard him. His gran frowned but complied with his request, leaving the room once more.

“Well, Longbottom, I’d say you handled that rather beautifully, but you probably already know that.” Zabini smirked at Neville. Neville smiled back at him. “Draco Malfoy.” Malfoy said suddenly, sticking out a hand to Neville, “I don’t think we’ve been introduced before.” Neville grinned and shook Malfoy’s hand firmly “Neville Longbottom, nice to meet you. And you are?” Neville looked at Zabini who smiled back and shook his hand “Blaise Zabini. Pleasure to meet you.” They all smiled at each other before Ron started thundering. “Neville? You’re going against everything Gryffindor stands for-” “And following Dumbledore’s wishes. Different House’s getting along.” Ginny spoke up for the first time she had entered the shop. She had raged silently at Ron and had tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach whenever she looked at Blaise, which was quite often. 

Ginny crossed her arms, glaring at her older brother. Zabini, Neville and Malfoy looked at each other, shocked at the youngest Weasel’s courage in the face of an angry Ron. “Neville Longbottom.” Neville grabbed the younger girl by her shoulders and spun her around, grasping and shaking her hand at the same time. “G-Ginny Weasley.” The flustered girl stuttered and blushed under the careful scrutiny done by the two Slytherins and their mothers. “Draco, dear-” Mrs Malfoy was interrupted by the chiming door and they all turned to face the door once again. 

A flustered Mrs Weasley and bushy haired Hermione bustled through the door towards Ron and Ginny. Hermione was raging and Mrs Weasley was deliciously pale faced. Hermione had the Daily Prophet in her hands and she promptly shoved it under Ron’s abnormally long nose. “Have you seen this?!” she screeched. Harry winced and his white chest rumbled at the high pitched noise. Malfoy glanced over to Harry at the low growl but was soon preoccupied with the red haired Gryffindor Lion. 

 

HARRY POTTER MISSING

Wizard World Panics 

Rita Skeeter reports:

Harry Potter was found missing from his home last night. The Dursley house, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey was covered in residual magic from Potter’s inner core. It seems that Potter was attempting wandless magic when his magical core burst from his body, killing everything inside the house’s wards, bar Potter’s owl, which was protected with separate wards around Potter’s room. 

The house was in a very deplorable state, all of the glass shattered and doors ripped from their hinges. The Dursleys (Potter’s only living relatives that he had been staying with) have been taken to a secret location until their house is restored and Potter is found. 

Kingsley Shacklebolt said “The boy hasn't gone very far, probably just accidental apparition, he’ll turn up soon. You all know how powerful he is.” Although, this reporter can say he was very nervous and constantly rubbing the back of his neck. Perhaps he knows where the Golden boy is or perhaps he knows something that we, the good wizards and witches of Britain, do not?

Full story on page 18

For more on Harry Potter see page 23

For more on magical cores and wand less magic see page 26

 

“How can you find someone missing?” Blaise whispered to Draco, who offered him a one shoulder shrug and a silver eye roll. The blond turned toward the fuming Muggleborn witch once more only to see her grab the Daily Prophet off the Weasel and start ripping up the blasted rag sheet into a bazillion pieces, too angry to notice the Slytherins watching her. Draco started slightly, he had though that the Daily Prophet was drowning in enough protective enchantments and spells to minimise the number of angrily torn pieces to clog up the atmosphere. 

Blaise looked equally stunned. The only other person he ever saw rip up a Daily Prophet was his mother and she was a crazy blood hounding bat. That comment made him think of Snape with his mother which made him shudder. With a poke to the shoulder, Draco had roused his dark skinned friend from his internal disgust. 

Unable to focus on the raging brunette, Draco saw that his tiger had one of his huge paws over his mouth, as if to stop himself from laughing out loud. Blaise also noticed this and looked at the striped beast in surprise. The more Granger continued to screech and rip up the unfortunate newspaper, the more the tiger was trying not to laugh. Soon one of his paws was actually in his mouth while the other one was covering his rounded ears, trying to block out the sound of and angry Gryffindor, his big forest green eyes screwed shut to avoid looking at the bushy haired girl. Draco and Blaise avoided looking at each other, looking at the tiger was funny enough; neither of them would be able to hold in the laughter that was threatening to burst out.

One glance up showed the enraged Gryffindor igniting the ripped up pieces of Daily Prophet, creating a flurry of flaming paper, showering down on them. Harry watched his former friend for a few seconds, and then looked towards his new master. There was no denying it; Draco Malfoy was one good looking bloke. Harry shifted uncomfortably at that thought. He was going to have a really hard time concentrating if he was living with Malfoy. Harry had realised last year that he preferred guys over girls and had only told Hermione. Ron would just look at him as if he was the dirt beneath his shoe. Malfoy however was also gay. Harry mentally scowled at himself for not noticing Malfoy’s preferences earlier; it would have saved a lot of fights. 

So Harry decided at that very second that being Draco Malfoy’s familiar wasn’t an entirely bad thing.


	4. In which collars are too sparkly.

Tyger, tyger, burning bright,  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Albus Dumbledore sat in his spacious office in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, looking at one of the many whirring instruments that were dotted around said office. This particular one was relatively small, only roughly the size of an apple. It was a perfect cube, light blue in colour, and it hummed slightly. This was the only thing that kept the Wizarding world sane. You see, this cube, this measly box, showed if Harry Potter, the Chosen One, Dumbledore’s pawn on the chessboard that was life, was dead or alive. Albus sighed, and frowned at the box, the ever present twinkle in his eye diminished. 

Generally the box was pure white, to show the boy was indeed still breathing. The cube would turn black if the elusive boy was found to be dead. Now though, the box was light blue, barely a colour at all. Blue, Albus knew, represented magical creatures. So either the boy was kidnapped by a passing vampire or werewolf and turned or he had come into some sort of magical inheritance. Both seemed extraordinarily unlikely though. A vampire or werewolf would have to get past the many blood wards on the Dursleys house, a nearly impossible feat. And neither the Potters nor the Evans bloodline showed any traces of magical creature blood, not even a slight hint. The box hummed, like normal, to show that Harry was happy, healthy and safe. When Sirius died, Albus remembered that the box pulsed and throbbed to show extreme anger and grief. 

Albus also had studied the Riddle and the Gaunt bloodlines and had found out that they were unsurprisingly also clear, just in case Voldemort had given Harry more than a scar and Parseltongue abilities. He sighed, rubbing his twinkle less eyes behind his half-moon spectacles. Behind him, Fawkes crooned softly, reassuring his master. Albus sighed again, his magical familiar reminding his of another thing he had to do. He had to build stables for some of the larger familiars coming to the school. He knew one of the first years was bringing a wild stallion, and obviously that could not sleep in the dorms with her. Hagrid had also got some questionable creatures off a man in Aberforth’s god forsaken pub that needed hiding.

Albus stood and, glaring at the cube one last time, he left the room in a flurry of lime robes and silver beard. 

 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

 

Draco and Blaise, along with their mothers, looked at the wall in front of them. Their new familiars had been drugged (again) with the ‘magically reinforced’ chicken and had been sent to their new homes, in indestructible cages of course. The room Draco, Blaise and their mothers was in was quite small and cluttered, two of the walls covered in different accessories in different sizes. It was filled with collars, cushions and many other things, all for newly chosen familiars. “Something flashy, but not too bling-y, something shiny, but not too sparkly, something-” Blaise interrupted Draco’s monologue. 

“Draco, dah-ling, we don’t actually have all day, contrary to popular belief.” Draco scowled at his dark skinned friend, who smiled back cheekily. “Draco this one is nice. And it’s not too bling-y.” Draco couldn't believe it. His own mother was teaming up with his best friend. And she was smirking. Oh, the horror. Though Draco had to admit, the collar his mother was holding was nice. 

It was three ropes of the finest Egyptian Acromantula silk dyed black and hardened in Phoenix tears with nineteen of the clearest diamonds set in nine solid white gold bands. All in all, it was one of the most beautiful things Draco had ever seen. And that was saying something, seeing’s as he saw himself in the mirror multiple times a day. “It comes with a matching ring for the owner. It can be the collar for the ceremony, if you like.” His mother continued softly. Draco nodded and plucked the collar of the wall. It was heavier than what he was expecting. The diamonds glinted in the harsh artificial lights. 

Blaise picked a simple yet flashy collar for his ceremony. It was a black band that was littered with small diamonds. Nice and simple. And thirty galleons. The two new familiar owners also bought around six more collars. Each. To match with whatever they were going to wear that day. The both also bought the book ‘Getting Familiar with your Familiar’ by Jonathon Notus just as an extra precaution. They had, in fact, bought very large, very wild cats, and after the familiar binding ceremony, they wanted to be able to care for their new protectors and friends in every way possible.

The total cost of all of the collars, the two books and two beds, not including the animals themselves, was well over two hundred galleons. Draco had to admit, he was getting excited with the thought of having a pet, no a companion that was a fully grown, 800lb, male Siberian tiger. The only other experience he had with familiars was with his mother’s Fennec fox, Romeo and his godfathers Harpy eagle, Jara. So naturally he was excited (and a little bit smug) that not only could his new familiar keep Draco protected, but he could also protect what remained of his family more than any other creature, bar a dragon or something of that sort. So yes he was feeling quite smug. 

 

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Like a bazillion mile away, Harry Potter woke to find himself in a room that smelled like Malfoy. Merlin help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see what the collar looks like here is the link
> 
> http://www.ross-simons.com/images/cf/236961c.jpg


	5. Chapter 5

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 

 

Draco glared at his reflection. His normally obedient hair was sticking up in all directions even after his shower. He sighed angrily. He realised that it was his fault that he went flying without any hair gel but he would just blame Blaise for offering to play one on one. Running his pale fingers through the blonde locks again, Draco surveyed his new outfit that was currently lying across his dark wood bed. 

The robes were Egyptian Acromantula silk in their natural colour, a silvery metallic grey. Underneath the robes he was to wear classic black dress pants and a grey shirt that matched his grey dragonhide boots. He thought the outfit looked very boring, but according to some ancient law, you weren’t allowed to wear bright colours to your bonding ceremony. Something about distractions or whatever. Draco knew that only his mother, Severus and a ministry official from the Familiar sector would be allowed with him during the ceremony.

When Draco and Blaise had denied the Dark Lord, Severus had left the ranks of the Death Eaters barely a week after. He apparated to the safe house that the Malfoy’s owned and was living with them ever since. His godfather had fled form Voldemort when he heard the plan the old crazy snake man had for Draco. Draco, to save his father, was to kill Dumbledore. Well Draco couldn’t care less about his father and he was quite happy to get his godfathers dry sarcastic humour back, as he had lost it whenever he was near or spoke of the dark lord. He had always thought of Severus as more of a father than Lucius.

A gentle knock brought Draco out of his dark thoughts. Speak of the devil…Draco smirked internally at his godfather standing in the doorway to his rather lavish room. Said godfather groaned when he saw his only godchild standing in front of a huge ornate mirror clad in only a towel around his thin waist and clapped a calloused hand over his dark eyes. “Merlin, Draco, are you trying to permanently scar my poor eyes? You mother wanted you to have this.” With some effort, as one hand was still firmly placed over his eyes, Severus pulled an orange hard back book from his robes, handing it to Draco. “You still have two hours until the binding ceremony so get reading.” With that he swept from the room in an impressive display of snapping robes. 

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 

‘Getting Familiar with your Familiar’ by Jonathon Notus was now resting in Draco’s hand, the young man reading the brightly coloured book. It was fascinating, Draco thought, that his tiger would go to the ends of the world to protect him and would hunt down anyone who hurt Draco. Once the bonding ceremony was complete of course. Draco flicked back to the chapter on the different bonds.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … 

 

There are several different types of familiar bonds, the three most common being the blood bond, the magic healing bond and the magical core bond. There are also several more dangerous but more productive bonds that are also available. 

1\. The Blood Bond: The most common bond, it is when the chosen familiar and its Master/Mistress share blood. This enables that they heal faster due to different magical blood in their bloodstream. This bond is the only bond that works with non-magical animals thought the healing that works with magical animals is not available.

2\. The Magic Healing Bond: This is when the chosen familiar and its Master/Mistress share surface magic, only allowing them to heal themselves or each other with the surface magic of the non-injured party.

3\. The Magical Core Bond: This is when the two parties share magical cores. In some very rare cases it allows the Master/Mistress to feel what their familiar is felling and it is possible that it also works vice versa. In four cases, the Master/Mistress was able to read their familiars thoughts and vice versa. The tales were scoffed upon and this has not been looked into further, as it is said to be impossible. 

4\. The Blood Bond (The Vampire Bond): This bond is only used in extreme cases, as it allows the two parties to bond over drinking their counterpart’s blood. This is dangerous as any familiar with an undetectable blood disease could fatally harm its Master/Mistress. There are over fifty cases in which a magical animal sales person that had held a grudge against someone for purchasing one of their cheaper wares when more expensive creatures were available and had purposely given the animal an undetectable blood disease in hopes that the Master/Mistress would use this bond. There have been no survivors of undetectable animal blood disease.

 

5\. The Soul Bond: Easily the most dangerous and difficult of the bonds, this bond rips your soul in half, takes half of the familiar’s soul and swaps them. If done properly, this bond changes both the Master/Mistress and the familiar physically, mostly something mundane like changing eye colour, though it has been reported that exceedingly powerful wizards and witches with exceedingly powerful familiars can get something along the lines of a tattoo, though it is carved into the skin, though this is extremely rare. Both the Master/Mistress and familiar get all the other bonds in the Soul Bond too. The last reported wizard who had the carving was Salazar Slytherin, although no one knows what became of his mysterious familiar. There are many benefits to this bond, like if the bond was completed properly; Dementors would no longer affect either of the parties because of the shared soul. If done improperly though, this bond would eat the remains of your soul, letting the animal side take over, making the human completely savage. The familiar however would soon die as the remainder of its soul would go to the human, leaving it in a Kissed like state, though they actually die after twenty minutes or so. While all of the other bonds can be undone with strong magic, this bond is completely undoable, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Because of the danger, only extraordinary witches and wizards can get through the bonding process unharmed. The last wizard to successfully preform this bond was Albus Dumbledore with his phoenix, Fawkes. 

 

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

 

Draco shut the book once again. He knew that Blaise was getting the first Blood bond and the Magical core bond. Draco however wanted to be completely bound to the tiger, and what a Malfoy wants a Malfoy gets…  
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

Draco stood in front of a white marble alter, his mother and Severus standing a bit behind his both with their familiars. His hand was itching to brush off the small feather from Severus’ familiar that was resting on his shoulder. However, the Ministry official, Darren Markus, a half blood Hufflepuff, had glared at him when he had made to remove the annoying grey feather. On the stone alter lay his tiger, bound to the slab of rock with magically enhanced chains. The forest green eyes glared at the wall in front of him as the top of his tail twitched in annoyance. The chains themselves showed exactly how magically and physically powerful Draco’s choice of familiar was. It took a lot out of someone to withstand a Ministry officials charm, and Draco’s tiger was managed just that. 

Earlier, the enraged tiger had broken through the magic bindings Markus had placed on him. Thankfully, the alter was prepared for escaping animals and the unbreakable chains had sprung from somewhere inside the table, trapping the tiger once more. The tiger however was not happy. With a ferocious roar, his tail started whipping about, whacking the disgruntled official in the face. Draco chuckled under his breath and the tigers head snapped towards him, the shining green eyes sparkling with mirth. Draco grinned at the tiger and the official took this moment to bind the tiger’s tail and muzzle the huge jaws. 

Draco glared at Markus and felt pleasantly smug when the older wizard recoiled slightly. Embarrassed, Markus fumbled with his wand before clearing his throat. “I’d like to start the um, procedure now.” The man stumbled over his words in the middle of his sentence, something that greatly disturbed Draco. If the man was to repeat that mishap during the bonding spells… Draco shuddered at the thought. 

The man cleared his throat again before turning to Draco. “Are you ready?” at Draco’s nod Markus cleared his throat again, this time coughing slightly. “Draco Lucius Malfoy, are you prepared to care for this animal, to protect and be protected, to share both companionship and hardship, to fight for what you think is right with this animal by your side the entire time?” Draco inhaled and said quietly “I am prepared to care for this animal, to protect and be protected, to share both companionship and hardship, to fight for what I think is right with this animal by my side the entire time.” Markus nodded and touched Draco on the forehead with his wand, and Draco felt a small tickle on his alabaster skin. He repeated that action with the tiger and by the crinkling of the creature’s forehead; he had felt the tickle as well.

“And what do you name him?” Draco gazed down at the tiger and stated “Prosper. His name is Prosper.” Behind him, Draco could his godfather hum in agreement to his choice of name. “And what bonds do you want to do Mr Malfoy?” Draco grinned and replied “The Soul Bond.” The official paled and he heard Severus groan behind him, muttering about a ‘Stupid brat’ and ‘bloody idiot’. The official nodded because once you said what bond you wanted, there was no going back. 

 

Markus raised his wand to the imprisoned tiger and grabbed his left paw. With slightly shaky hands, Markus slashed open the padding of the huge paw open, blood seeping out. He also slashed Draco's left hand. Putting his hand in Prospers paw, Draco had a wild thought of dragons shaking a tiger's hand. Exceedingly nervous now, Markus started to recite the Latin Soul Bond spell.

Sanguinem et Sanguinem, Animam Anima  
Animos Pertinent,  
Magicae Magicis Coniungit in hoc Rituali Choro.

That's when everything decided to fuck up.

Draco was thrown across the room, a searing pain in his chest. Prosper had broken through the muzzle and was currently roaring in agony. Draco ripped his shirt off and looked at his heaving chest. There, on his left pec, was a paw. A black, Celtic carving of a tiger paw was on his chest. That was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …


	6. In which bonds are (practically) completed

Tyger, tyger, burning bright,  
In the forests of the night,  
What immortal hand or eye,  
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

 

Draco grimaced. His head felt like he had a million bludgers zooming around on the inside, and his bare chest stung. He could feel silken sheets beneath him and a feather pillow under his head so it was obvious that he was in his bed. He groaned, shifting slightly and repressing a gasp at the twinge of pain in his chest. At least he was alive.

“You took quite the tumble there Draco, frightened your mother half to death.” Draco heard his godfathers smooth voice float across the room. He merely groaned in response. Draco tried to push himself up off the emerald clad bed, wondering why Severus didn’t try and help him. Once Draco sat up and his vision cleared (it had gone blurry when he began to sit up) he could see why his godfather didn’t come to his aid. 

There, lying on the end of his bed was Prosper, gazing at Draco with bright intelligent eyes. “The second you passed out, Prosper here broke through seemingly unbreakable chains and started licking your chest. He hasn’t left your side since. He also tried to eat Jara (Severus’ harpy eagle familiar) when she landed on your bed post.” Draco smiled at Severus. “So it worked?” Sev grimaced before nodding slightly. “Yes you idiotic boy, it worked. Narcissa didn’t want this to reach the media and Obliviated Markus.” Draco nodded and turned to get out of the bed. Severus stood to push his godson back down but he was beaten to it. 

Prosper laid his paw on Draco’s shoulder and pushed down, a growl-whine rumbling his deep chest. Thankfully, Draco complied with his request, lying back down. Prosper took his paw off Draco’s shoulder and curled up beside the boy, and soon the great tiger was snoring. 

“He’s been awake since the ceremony, not eating, just watching over you. For four days he sat at the end of the bed, not letting anyone but Narcissa get closer than across the room from you. It was amazing.” Severus sad softly. Draco pushed his covers down to his waist and looked at his chest. There on his left pec was a Celtic paw print, complete with claws and all. Draco ran his finger over it, feeling the indent on his skin. Glancing towards the sleeping tiger, Draco asked Severus “What did Prosper get?” Severus shrugged “He growled whenever anyone went near him and to be honest no one wanted to be near his rather large and sharp claws.” Draco smirked and sighed happily into his pillow. 

Severus cleared his throat, demanding his godson’s attention once more. Draco looked up tiredly. “You have to stay here for a further three days to completely seal the bond. The house elves will bring yourself and Prosper food whenever you all them. No contact outside the elves will be allowed because it messes up the magic in the bond. The door will lock after I leave and won’t open until the bond has been successfully completed. I’ll inform you mother that you have awoken. I suggest you put Prospers collar on when he wakes up.” With that the potions master made to leave the room in his impressive way of swishing black cloak, before stopping short of the door. “Oh, and Draco? Congratulations.” Severus smiled and with a small nod he left the room, closing the dark heavy mahogany door behind him, the lock clicking shut.

Draco sighed at the closed door and pulled the covers back up to his chin, rolling on his side with his back to Prosper. Finally giving in to his exhaustion, Draco slipped into a dream full of black stripes and glowing green eyes.

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

It was many hours later when Draco awoke. His chest sill stung and he felt uncomfortably sticky. Pushing himself off the bed, he noticed that Prosper was still asleep. Reaching out a hand gingerly, Draco ran his fingers across the striped fur. Prospers eyes snapped open and he rolled over and stood up. Draco still had his hand extended and was quite surprised when Prosper head butted it, licking it with his rough tongue. 

Feeling insane, Draco petting his tiger. “Hey there Prosper, I’m just going to have a shower… or a bath… yeah, a bath.” Draco half spoke to himself and half spoke to Prosper. Prosper nodded and jumped off the bed and stretched before looking back at the still bed ridden Draco. Draco shook his head and rolled out of bed, landing on the carpeted floor with the grace only a Malfoy possessed. Well, actually, he landed on his face, but he was still half asleep and thought that his floor face plant was graceful. Somehow. 

As Draco walked into the bathroom, he heard Prosper do his huffing chuckle and Draco paused. He had heard that laugh before, and not just in the pet shop. Shaking his head, Draco walked into the bathroom, suddenly more awake than he was only seconds before, and feeling completely and utterly mystified. 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.


	7. In which eyes are sorta kinda purple

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

When Draco locked the heavy bathroom door, Prosper slumped against it. Heaving a sigh, he turned his left paw toward his glowing forest green eyes. There, engraved on the soft black pad was a dragon. An old Celtic design, the dragon was in the rough shape of a ball, other than the three spikes that made up the crest on the head of the dragon and part of the twisting tail which extended just past the rough outline of the circle. The entire thing was a shade lighter than the colour of Prospers black paw with the exception of the triangular red eye. 

Peering at the tattoo, Prosper felt something warm bubble up in his chest, spreading throughout his body like a mouthful of smooth Butterbeer, reaching deep into his very bones and caressing his stalwart muscles. The tip of his tail twitched when the warmth reached it and Prosper turn his left paw the right way again and laid his heavy head down on the two paws.

It was a beautiful thing, Prosper thought, to be wanted.

 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

 

On the other side of the dark wood bathroom door, Draco ran a hand through his hair and grimaced at the greasiness. Not washing his hair for four days had defiantly taken its toll on the normally luscious blonde locks. Draco pulled off his t shirt and nearly groaned at the smell of the fabric. A bath was a definite number one priority. Flicking his wand, Draco magically turned on the many taps to his whale of a bath, filling the tub with scented water, bubbles that would soften and moisturise his dry and cracked skin and potions that instantly healed any cuts and bruises that possibly marred his skin from being thrown across a room into a stone wall. Sighing, Draco conjured a glass of water and ran a hand over his face, and turned towards his rather large and ornate mirror. 

SMASH. The glass full of water shattered spectacularly upon impact with the ground. Draco ignored the liquid pooling at his feet and slowly walked up to the full length mirror. His once white blonde hair was now white with the barest hint of blue. His eyes had gone from a steely grey to a glowing beautiful amethyst. He had grown slightly, now standing at 6 feet 2’’ opposed to his previous 6 feet nothing. The magic tattoo carving from the bond was shimmering slightly on his pale white skin and unlike most magical tattoos; this one was completely and utterly stationary. 

Draco raised his hand, letting it hover over his cheek for a second, before he let his fingertips brushing across his face like the softest butterfly wings. Once he had gotten over his initial shock, Draco thought he looked rather good, if not different. Tilting his head slightly to see his hair better, Draco took a step back onto the broken glass. Hissing and swearing, dropping his wand, he grabbed his foot and was about to pick up his wand and vanish the glass in his foot and on the ground when the lock on the door jiggled. Frozen, Draco could only watch with his heart in his throat and his foot in his hands when the heavy door creaked open slowly. Draco almost screamed when Prosper popped his head around the door. 

Clucking his chest in one hand while the other held his bleeding foot, Draco let out a sigh. Prosper sauntered gracefully into the bathroom and over to his injured Master. Draco released his chest as his wildly thumping heart calmed again back to a normal rate and picked up his 10" hawthorn wand and with a flick of the wrist the glass vanished from his foot and from the ground and the water disappeared.

Prosper sat at Draco’s foot and gazed at the once blonde wizard in the mirror. Draco placed his hand on the great beasts head and also gazed into the mirror. When the wizard touched the tiger, an unnoticeable zap of pure magic flowed between them. Neither of them noticed when their inner cores linked with each other’s with another strand of pure magic nor did they notice the slight magical breeze that ruffled their hair. And neither of them noticed when a mental bond was created deep within their mind. And if they had noticed, neither of them would have minded. For this world was at war, and to have someone at your side that cares for you and only you, was a rare thing in a war torn nation. With people at all sides, surrounding you, be they enemies or allies, sometimes just one person is all you need.

And the one called Draco Malfoy and the one who used to be called Harry Potter were unknowingly bonded, and it was decided by the magic of the world that these two were to do great things.

Great things indeed.

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.


	8. In which tails begin to twitch

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

 

It had all changed when there was just two weeks before Draco had to return to Hogwarts. The day had started out normally, Draco was awoken by rumbling purrs and soft head butts to the side. When Draco had dressed, he and Prosper had headed downstairs, said hello to Severus who was in one of the potion labs, like any other morning, and had eaten breakfast with Narcissa and Romeo (If you remember, he’s Narcissa’s fennec fox familiar) before they had returned upstairs so Draco could finish his Transfiguration essay. Prosper had leapt up onto the bed and stretched out regally, purring, content with knowing his Master was safe. Draco was sitting at his dark Brazilian wood desk, his white and grey quill scratching against the heavy stiff parchment, his floor littered with scraps of crumpled parchment. He sighed, tapping the green inked quill against the corner of the difficult Transfiguration essay, re reading what he had already written. 

If a person wanted to become an Animagus, there is a potion called Animalis Mutante or Animal Changer that allows the person to change into the animal that is most compatible with their personalities and with their magic for a set amount of time (usually ten to fifteen minutes). If the person’s magic accepts the new animal form, that person would be able to shift into their new form at will. The first time a person changes form (after the potion change), the animals instincts will completely override human compassion and humanity if the correct potion (Animi Custos) is not taken before hand. This is best done alone if you have not taken the potion and if your Animagus form is a large creature. It is extraordinarily difficult to have an animal compatible with your magic and that is why so few people try to gain Animagus forms.

Draco sighed again, growling softly in the back of his throat, making Prosper look at him in surprise. Draco was normally very cool and collected, other than in the mornings. When Draco got out of his seat to look for his Transfiguration book that was in his bag, pushing the high backed chair behind him, Prosper leapt off the bed and went over to his agitated Master, purring loudly and head butting his Masters back softly. Draco smiled weakly at the concerned tiger and continued searching for the elusive school bag. Eventually, after ten more minutes of searching and head butts to the back (Draco suspected that the tiger was enjoying himself immensely) Draco abandoned whatever patience he had. “Kips!” Draco snarled to the room. One crack of magic later and the small, straight backed house elf stood before Darco. “Find my school bag and do not let me see you until you have it.” Draco snarled at the elf, who nodded at once, too used to the young Malfoy’s quick attitude changes to be upset with the snappish command. Prosper, however, looked at Draco with an equal mix of concern and annoyance. Draco scowled at the tiger and ran a hand over his face and through his white hair. “Sorry Kips.” Draco said to the room at large, taking a step backwards. Alas, as Draco was walking backwards, he did not see that he had upset the carpet with his searching and now the corner was overturned. Draco’s foot caught on the carpet and Draco came down heavily, banging and splitting his head on the hardwood floor, his vision starting to swim and blood starting to seep onto the cream carpet, staining it. Prosper who had sat down after Draco had called the house elf leapt to his feet, knowing and not wanting to know that he would have to change back to his human side if he wanted to help his beloved Master. Draco did not see Prosper changing from tiger to human or the look of concentration on said tigers face before the change. Draco did, however, feel a warm hand cradle his bloody head while another went around his waist, stemming the blood flow and picking the injured boy up. Draco saw through clouded eyes a pair of startled green eyes on the face of a very real and practically naked Harry Potter. And then Draco had passed out from the blood loss from his head, only seeing darkness. 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

When Draco had stumbled backwards, Prosper didn’t notice, thinking that his Master would catch himself. However, when he heard the almighty crack of Draco’s head against the floor he knew it in a little dark corner of his mind that, as a tiger, he wasn’t able to keep Draco from bleeding, if anything, Prosper would have made it worse. So, for the first time since becoming Prosper, the 800lb Siberian tiger, he wished Harry was back, even just to help the felled boy. Suddenly, with a fire that race through his veins followed by a fleeting flash of coldness, Harry Potter was back. Allowing only a brief look of surprise on his face, Harrys hands snapped out, one gently grasping Draco’s bloodied head and the other snaked around Draco’s thin waist. 

When Draco had fainted dead in his arms, Harry had naturally panicked, muttering a quick “Sweet mother of shit!”. Wearing nothing but tattered denim knee length shorts, Harry lifted Draco up bridal style and had raced out of the room. Sprinting through the long hallways, ignoring the gasps of surprise that came from portraits and house elves alike, Harry finally came to a skidding halt outside the potions lab. Kicking open the door, Harry place Draco on the nearest table not covered in potions or ingredients or weighting scales. He turned to the shocked potions master and pleaded “Please…” Harry whispered, nearly heartbroken with the guilt of what he had caused to his Master. Severus stood stock still, his hand still curled around the crushed spring crocus he was about to drop into the bubbling potion in the cauldron that stood in front of him. Throwing the flower to the side, Severus swooped over to the boy on the table, ignoring (for now) the other boy. Severus realised that there was nothing wrong with Draco other than a cracked skull which, while painful, was very easy to heal. Severus did exactly that with a wave of his wand. He turned to the supposedly missing boy, a frown on his face only to stop, once again shocked at what Harry looked like.

The once scrawny short boy was tall, exactly six foot, and had filled out nicely, judging by the toned muscles in his arms, legs and abs, but that was not what had shocked Severus. The boys once pale skin was now covered in stripes varying from faded grey to blacker that black. Emerging from the back of the boys tattered denim cut offs was a long stripped orange trail, the white tip twitching slightly, only inches off the flagstone floor. His forest green eyes had streaks of shinning silver and gold and his pupils were unnaturally large in the potion labs poor light. The glowing eyes were also filled with despair and desperation and were locked on the unmoving form of Draco. His once jet black hair was now tipped with orange, a startling contrast to his black as sin hair. Around his left wrist, Harry had Prospers collar and on his left pec was the tattoo that had been on Prospers paw. Severus came to a startlingly obvious conclusion; Harry Potter was Prosper.

“Potter.” Severus called out to the boy. Harry did nothing to indicate that he heard other that the slight twitch of his fingers. “Harry, he’ll wake up in his own time. Why don’t you and I go get you a shirt and a cup of tea.” Harry hesitated briefly, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a second before nodding slowly, backing away from the still form on the table. Turning on his heel, Harry faced the formidable potions master and followed his swishing black robes out of the lab and back into the hallway. 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

Draco awoke, groaning. His head was twinging slightly in pain and he sighed in annoyance. Suddenly, he remembered how he had fallen and more importantly, who was there when he fell. He shot off the table, allowing only a moment of dizziness to pass, sparing only a second of thought to how he arrived in Severus’s private potion lab. Draco fought the urge to sprint around the Manor like some undignified animal. “Kips.” Draco called out to his personal House Elf. Said elf appeared with Draco’s school bag in hand and Draco had to smother a smile at the elf’s obedience. “Master Malfoy, your kitty is being in the lounge with Mistress Malfoy and the potions man.” Here, the small creature hesitated “If Kips is allowed sir, your kitty is looking strange, and not like a kitty should sir.” Draco nodded “Can you bring my bag back into my room Kips.” The house elf nodded and disappeared with a crack. 

Draco hurried through the twisting hallways of the huge Manor, stopping outside the door of the lounge. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and onto a strange sight. Severus was sitting in a high backed armchair, smiling and nursing a glass of Fire Whiskey and Draco’s mother was telling an elaborate story, waving her hands around like a mad woman. It made Draco smile. When they had lived with Lucius, Narcissa was always quiet and subdued, not happy and smiley like she should be. There was black and orange hair sticking up from behind the chair that was facing away from him and towards the fireplace and Narcissa.

Severus looked up and put down his near empty glass on the coffee table. Narcissa also stopped, her voice trailing off into nothingness. They both got up and Severus squeezed Draco’s shoulder on the way out and Narcissa whispered “Don’t do anything rash, he cares for you little Dragon.” Draco only nodded and swept over to the chair in front of the fireplace, the chair his mother had been sitting in. He flopped down in the seat, and glared at the boy opposite him. Draco was shocked, needless to say, when he saw, not the weak Golden Boy of Gryffindor, but Harry, part tiger and Draco’s familiar. The forest green eyes streaked with silver stared at him, filled with an equal amount of relief and desperation. Draco smiled softly at his familiar and his friend. 

“Hey Prosper.” 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine: In which names are given.

“So you became an Animagus to honour your godfather- who is Sirius Black- and to get away from the pressures of being ‘The Boy Who Lived? And to hide from Dumbledore?” Draco questioned Harry, quoting the tiger hybrid word for word. Severus and Narcissa exchanged glances, they could at least relate to trying to hide from Dumbledore. Hell, they were both doing so right now. Dumbledore had offered Narcissa and Draco asylum after the whole Voldemort incident and Dumbledore was still trying to get Severus to live full time in Hogwarts. Harry nodded to Draco’s questions, nervously fidgeting with the collar bracelet. “Could you teach me?” Draco asked excitedly. “To be an Animagus, I mean.” Harry thought about it for a second or two before shaking his head slowly, biting his lower lip, somehow not realising that his canines had sharpened and lengthened. “I can’t, I don’t know how; I made a mistake making the Animagus potion.” Everyone looked surprised at that, excluding Harry. Draco’s face fell for a split second before he smirked amusedly “Right well then, I’ll just have to do it myself.” Severus rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, he was interrupted. “What the fuck?!” Harry, it seemed had noticed his new appendage, it having curled around calf, the white tip twitching on his foot. “What the fuck, what the flying piece of horse shit?! Why am I stripy and why do I have a tail?” Harry jumped off the chair he was sitting in and grabbed his tail, becoming aware for the first time of the stripes that covered his entire body. (He doesn’t have a shirt on.)

“Potter, you’ll be fine.” Severus was, of course, to the point. Harry sat down again, eyes still on his tail. Draco sat up straighter, and smiled at his mother, who had just begun to speak. “Harry, dear, would you be able to change back again?” Harry nodded and stood, his tail whipping about the place showing his nervousness. Harry focused on his core magic, the swirling colours flashing behind his eyes. The once fully silver core now had streaks of blood red, twisting through the silver like rivers rushing down a mountain. Harry ignored the meandering colours, reaching deeper and deeper until he found his inner animal. Reaching out and grasping it was easy, pushing your body and magic into it was the hard part. Harry gritted his teeth as pain blossomed from every cell in his body. Falling to his knees, Harry groaned as his body shifted, his bones changing and muscles building, his coat bursting out and wrapping him in an orange striped cocoon. After a second or two, the pain receded, leaving a near one thousand pound tiger in its wake. “Well shit, you got bigger.” Draco said, astounded by the display of advanced and powerful magic. _Fuck that hurt a shitload more than the first time._ Draco jumped, clutching his head while looking wildly around the elegantly decorated room. “Shit, Harry? Was that you?” Harry, now as a tiger, looked at him confused. _What is Draco talking about?_  “Oh Salazar, I can hear your thoughts! Change back!” Harry did so, and Draco could no longer hear Harry’s thoughts. Narcissa interrupted her excited son, looking at Harry’s shorts which were in tatters. “Draco right now what Mister Potter needs is a nice hot bath and some new clothes.” Draco nodded and waved Harry over to his side.

“We’re going to have to get you some Muggle clothes as well as wizards robes. We can also see if there’s such a thing as clothes that don’t rip when you change shape. I’m pretty sure there’s a shop in Diagon Alley that sells clothes for Animagi.” Harry looked from Severus to Narcissa, raising his eyebrow at Draco, who was already half way out of the room. Harry sighed and chuckled under his breath, glowing eyes fixed on Draco’s back. “Wait.” Severus called to the two teenage boys. “What are we supposed to call Mister Potter now?” Draco nibbled on his lip before he started muttering. “Harry, Potter, Prosper, Potter, Prosper, Harry? Harry? Prosper? Scar head? Harry?”

“Draco.”

“Harry, Prosper, Potter, Harry.”

“Dragon.”

“Prosper, Harry, Potter.”

“Um, Professor?”

“Prosper, Potter, Potter, Prosper, Harry.”

“Draco.”

“Harry, Potter, Prosper, Potter, Harry.”

“Merlin.”

“Prosper, Harry.”

“Forrest, Forrest Gump.”

Draco stopped and looked at the chuckling boy. Severus and Narcissa also stared confused at Harry, Potter, Prosper, Potter, Harry who just smiled and said “Excellent Muggle movie, pay no attention.” Severus nodded but the two purebloods still looked confused. “Moving pictures.” Harry said, forgetting that in the Wizarding world, pictures always moved. Draco shrugged and shook his head slightly. Harry and Draco left the room, Harry still trying to explain what a movie was to the former blonde. Narcissa and Severus smirked at each other and both somehow knew that everything was going to be fine.

For the time being at least.

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.


	10. In which snakes are plotting

A man, pale faced and red eyed, sat in a throne like chair, thinking. A large snake was curled around his shoulders and his long, bony fingers were rubbing his temples, an action he had unknowingly inherited from his long dead father. In the corner of the sparsely decorated room stood a man, his balding head bowed and his watery blue eyes darting across the room, often flickering between the slumbering snake and the door. His hands were curled into his chest, clutching a small wooden box and his nose twitched sporadically. In front of Lord Voldemort knelt a broken man. His once shining blond hair hung limply around his gaunt, dirty and unshaven face. His breathing was shallow and erratic and his once pale blue robes were torn and splattered in various different types of alcohol, mainly Irish Fire Whiskey, the strongest alcohol in the world. (I am Irish so please don’t think I’m slagging Ireland or the Irish or our drunken stereotype.) 

Lucius Malfoy held a book, a book which Lord Voldemort wanted. There was an old pureblood ritual which was said to bring eternal youth in exchange for half of your soul and this was the only book in existence with the instructions. Lord Voldemort was no stranger to soul mutilation and wanted to be back in his youthful and handsome body. He halted the movement of his fingers on his head and held out his osseous hand. “Lucius… you have failed Lord Voldemort once… but he is a merciful master and gave you a second chance… this time you have pleased him… now hand over the book and get out of my sight.” With a short bow, Lucius kissed the hem of Voldemorts robes and handed the leather bound, blood stained book to his master, before scurrying out of the room, hunched over in submission.

“Wormtail, bring me a drink.” Wormtail didn’t hesitate as he shuffled over to the imposing figure. He placed the wooden box on a small table and opened it, revealing a bottle of wine and a wine glass. Pouring the red liquid in the crystal glass, he placed it in the offered hand and left the room. He knew his master would just order his out of the room anyways.

The self-proclaimed Lord sipped the crimson liquid and sighed before chugging the entire glass down followed by the bottle. He soon lost himself in a drunken haze and didn’t notice his serpentine familiar’s departure from the room.

Nagini, however, ignored the intoxicated man for the open door. It wasn’t often that she got a chance like this. Voldemort thought that she was his Horcrux, but she, once a lonely snake looking to go to Brazil, was already bonded with another magic wielder. Harry Potter had been but a mere boy when they had first meet. He was the first human to talk to her and she was the first snake to talk to him. He had not known when he freed her from the zoo all those years ago the some of his magic latched onto her, fortuitously making her a magical animal. Before Harry came she was just your average captive bred twelve feet long and as thick as a man's thigh reticulated python, but now she had magic. When Voldemort had attempted to make a Horcrux of her it failed, but he didn’t know that his soul piece still resides in him and not in the snake. She knew however, and was appalled to think that the man wanted to make her a mindless servant and a host to his evil soul. She had been happy enough to stay with the man until that time when he killed Bertha Jorkins. Since then, however, she had been planning and plotting. She wanted to go back to her true master. And, she thought as she nosed out the door and past a quaking Wormtail, no one was going to stop her.


	11. In which not all Alleys are Diagonal.

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

Draco sat alone in his room, his breath fogging up the window where he was sitting. He thought it was just past two in the morning, but he couldn’t sleep. He loathed admitting it, but he had grown dependant on the rumbling snores of Prosper. His tiger, now sleeping down the hall as Harry, usually slept at the foot of Draco’s bed, a comforting weight.

It was around two in the morning, but he couldn’t be sure without checking and, with his wand and watch on his bedside locker on the other side of the room, Draco wasn’t bothered to get up only to check the time. Tomorrow, or later on today even, they would be going to Diagon Alley to pick up Draco’s school stuff. Most likely they would be meeting Blaise and Lamont, Blaise’s cheetah familiar, outside Flourish and Blotts. Draco hadn’t informed Blaise about Harry and wasn’t about to do so. He, Draco, felt it was too private to go around telling his friend. He would leave that to Harry.

But, getting back to the matter at hand, Draco was lonely. And it seemed Harry was too. The door creaked open and in the doorway stood a tiger-hybrid, his head bowed, orange and black streaked hair falling about his face, golden green eyes flicked upwards towards Draco, hopeful. His tail swished slightly from side to side, the tip barely making it off the ground. “Hey…” Harry took a step into the room, hesitantly. Draco’s amethyst eyes were also filled with hope. He gestured to Harry to come in and Harry did just that, closing the door behind him. He hurried across the room, making no sound on the dark wood floor.

He slid to the floor, his back propped by Draco’s legs and his head resting on Draco’s knees. Draco marvelled at his confidence, once, of course, he had gotten permission to come into the room. Harry had literally just plonked his head into Draco’s lap. Draco threaded his fingers into the black on orange mess atop Harry’s head.

“What are you going to tell Blaise tomorrow, or later today even?” Harry broke the silence. Draco smiled slightly at the growly tone. “Nothing, not unless you want to tell his something.” Harry shook his head, flexing his fingers. “Nah, he’ll probably find out sooner or later, even if we don’t tell him. Hey, look at this.” Harry pulled back and held up his hand. Draco raised an eyebrow but soon had to be picking his jaw off the floor when Harry’s perfectly normal nails hardened and lengthened into claws. (Like Sabertooth’s in the first Wolverine movie.) Harry ran one across the floor, and they both watched it cut into the hardwood like a hot knife through butter. “But get this,” Harry then ran the claw over his cheek, leaving no mark, no broken skin, no blood. “It’s fucking awesome, isn’t it?” Harry grinned at Draco’s dumfounded expression. The use of the explicative shook Draco from his thoughts. “Why do you swear so much? I mean, I’ve never heard you swear before.” Harry’s grin faded into a sad smile, “That’s because you’ve never seen the real me, no one has, not even Ron or Hermione. They see me the way I want them to see me, the weak, undereducated mistreated saviour, not the real me. The real me is a potty mouthed bastard really.” Harry smiled and stood, stretching himself out like a cat. He looked towards the door, and then glanced at the bed before looking back at Draco, smiling sheepishly. “Er, do you mind if I…” he gestured awkwardly to the bed, rubbing the back of his neck. Draco smiled and stood, before grabbing Harry’s hand and dragging his towards the bed, “Not at all…”

 

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

 

Severus found them the next morning, curled around each other, foreheads practically touching. Harry’s tail was wound around Draco’s leg and their hands were intertwined. He cleared his throat, and Harry’s head sprang up, his hair standing on end. “Wuzzgoinon?” he rolled over, and raised his arms above his head stretching and yawning, both his back and his jaw cracking. “Egh,” Draco, disturbed by the now grumbling Harry, also opened his eyes and blinked blearily in the soft morning light. Severus chuckled and said “Breakfast is ready, if you boys are hungry.” He then left the sleep addled teens. Harry immediately perked up at the mention of food and leapt off the bed. He looked at the bed ridden Draco and snorted. Grabbing a pair of Draco’s jeans he said “I am going to have a quick shower Draco. Please be presentable by the time I get out.” Draco didn’t respond other than showing Harry the middle finger. Harry chuckled and closed the door of Draco’s bathroom behind him.

Draco scowled into his pillow. He despised morning people and it would seem that Fate had intended for his familiar to be one. Heaving a sigh, Draco pushed himself up onto his elbows, blanket pooling around his waist. Might as well get up if there was food. Rolling onto his back, Draco sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, yawning. Throwing on a clean shirt and a pair of blue jeans, Draco jumped slightly when the bathroom door banged open. When Harry said a quick shower, Draco had assumed he would take at least ten minutes, not the two and a half that he actually took. Harry stood, in a pair of Draco’s black jeans and nothing else, with a towel in his hand.

Draco took a moment to admire the black stripped and orange tipped hair when Harry sneezed. It was comical, eyes rolling back into his head and nose scrunching up. It was a mighty sneeze, his entire body rippled with its effects. The biggest effect it had though was the ears. Two tiger ears just popped up on the top of his head, completely out of the blue. Harry’s normal ears, usually covered by hair, were now gone and two honest to God tiger ears stood atop Harry’s head like they were there the whole time.

Harry and Draco stood looking at each other for a couple of second before Harry reached up and tugged on one of the ears. Feeling it was real, his mouth twitched. It wasn’t long before he was in stitches laughing. Draco just smiled at Harry and threw him a shirt. Harry, still chuckling, quickly pulled it on and buttoned it up. He smiled at Draco, his new ears perking and his canines glinting, “Food?”

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

 

Diagon Alley wasn’t overly busy, mainly casual shoppers or the odd school shopper, but there were enough people to notice the big ass tiger walking alongside the Malfoy heir. Blaise smiled at the pair, and Lamont bounded over to Prosper and nuzzled the huge cat before trotting back over to Blaise. “Draco.” Blaise said as he pulled his white haired friend into a hug. “Blaise.” Draco smiled and Prosper chuffed slightly into Blaise’s open hand. “Well, he grew.” Blaise said, petting Prospers head. Draco just smiled and winked at his dark skinned friend. _Draco, don’t tease him_. The mental message was enforced with a playful push by a purring Prosper, who Draco just grinned at.

They walked around the alley for a few hours, getting all the necessary equipment for the upcoming school year. Outside Flourish and Blotts however, they encountered a slight problem. Mainly one Bookworm and one Weasel. “Malfoy,” Granger had squeaked, “A tiger is much too dangerous to be brought into a school.” Before Draco could answer Weasley butted in “Yeah Malfoy.” Draco just sighed and crossed his arms. “Prosper, a tiger, has more manners and self-control than both of you combined. He’ll be fine at school.” Prosper did his huffing chuckle thing and Draco smirked thinly, placing his hand atop the tigers head.

A loud bark had all of their heads turning. Neville Longbottom was strolling up to them in black jeans and a white shirt, hands in pockets. His Irish wolfhound lolloped over to the group of students before leaping back to Neville, his tail wagging a mile a minute. Neville halted before them, his brunette hair catching the sun. “Malfoy, Zabini. Ron, Hermione.” Draco and Blaise nodded back while the two other Gryffindors smiled. “I don’t think you’ve been properly introduced, this is Alaric.” At the sound of this voice the huge dog perked his ears, whining happily. The dog seemed to like Prosper, nudging him and attempting to bite his tail. Prosper for the most part humoured him, whacking him with the powerful tail whenever Alaric grazed it with his teeth. “We were shopping, Nev, if you want to come with us.” Hermione said, putting her hand in her jacket pocket, where a squirming bulge lay. Neville declined saying he was finished shopping for school stuff and that he was going to meet up with Luna in Dillyd Alley. “Funnily enough, that’s exactly where we’re going.” Blaise said, grabbing Draco’s and Neville’s arms, dragging them away from the Gryffindors. Lamont ran ahead with Alaric while Prosper stalked alongside Draco, listening to their conversation. He had, of course, never been off Diagon Alley; unless you could the disastrous time he went to Knockturn Alley, so naturally he was curious as to what this Dillyd Alley was like. Neville was saying “You know, I did just say that so I could leave.” Blaise smiled and Draco nodded “Obviously, but Dillyd Alley is always worth a look.” The unlikely trio gathered a lot of surprised looks, either due to the fact that there was a cheetah and a wolfhound playing together like kittens, the fact that there was a huge tiger strolling along the road or due to the fact that the Ice Price of Slytherin was openly smiling and talking to a Gryffindor.

 

However unlikely the trio was, none of them, including the familiars, will ever forget what they saw when the turned the corner to Dillyd Alley.

 

“Hello Neville, I see your dog scared off all the Wrackspurts.”


	12. Chapter 12

Dillyd Alley was a mixture between bright and vibrant shops and dark and mysterious ones. The contrast wasn’t as sharp and separated as Knockturn and Diagon Alley though. A yellow café with a cheerful looking old lady outside sweeping was right beside a shop that, judging by the display in the window, sold raw meat and animal bones. In fact, there was a man who was standing in the door way of the meat shop who had huge bat like scaly wings and pointed, elvish ears. If he were to go to Diagon Alley, the Aurors would have been called and he would be either imprisoned and experimented on or just killed. Prosper watched as he winged man nodded to someone inside the meat shop and leapt over the old lady, sitting down in one of the chairs outside the café. The lady ran inside and came back out with a pot of tea and a cup. She talked to the winged man, laughing and smiling. On the other side of the meat shop was a baby shop. Not selling babies, but baby essentials like cribs and prams the like.

All across the alley, humans and non-humans walked and talked and interacted like it was nothing. And no one said anything about the blonde haired, distant eyed girl who was currently sitting atop a grizzly bear in the middle of the alley. Luna, who was the said girl, smiled from her place on the bear at Neville and his companions. She slipped daintily from the huge beasts back and skipped over to them, the bear following his mistress unhurriedly, content with the fact that he could see her. Luna hugged Neville and petted Alaric before turning towards the Slytherins. She looked at them for a second, her dreamy eyes unusually focused, before her face melted into a dazed grin. She slid over to Prosper and knelt in front of the tiger. She grabbed either side of his head and, bringing her forehead to meet his, whispered almost inaudibly “Harry James Potter, you have no idea of how worried I have been.” Prosper pulled back and thought to Draco _Shit, she knows._

Draco stiffened but didn’t have time to do or say anything before Luna latched onto him, hugging him around the middle. She pulled back and tapped his chest twice with two knuckles on her right hand, right over where the magical tattoo was. “Keep that hidden. From everyone.” She smiled at the shell shocked Draco before giggling and skipping over to where her bear was. Neville and Blaise shared a glance and a grin over the stationary Slytherin. Luna ran her hands through the thick fur on the bears back before smiling at Neville. “This is Acklorperesshat. Daddy got him for me off a breeder in Spain.” “Acklerpeshat?” Neville tried to pronounce the long and strange name that the girl had chosen for her familiar. “Acklorperesshat. Ack-lore-per-esh-at. Well, daddy and I have just been calling him Ackles.” “Ackles, I can say that.” Neville smiled at the blonde girl who in turn again turned to Draco. “You need to go to Gringotts” Draco crinkled his brow, completely confused “Blood tests.” She continued, her silver eyes flickering over to Prosper. Draco’s forehead smoothed and he nodded.

“She’s right, since Fath- Lucius disowned myself and divorced Mother; we were looking to see if we could start using the Black family name instead of Malfoy. We need to see the goblins to do so.”

 _I inherited the Black properties. My godfather, remember_?

Oh, shit, that was right; Harry owned all the Black estates. He wasn’t head of the House though. If he allowed it, then Draco would become the Black head of the house, even if Harry was the Heir. Draco, who couldn’t mentally speak back to Prosper, smiled at Blaise, Luna and Neville before turning away, Prosper trotting at his heels. The duo strutted out of Dillyd Alley and back into Diagon Alley, heading straight for the bank. They went up the stone steps, nodding to the Goblin guards as they passed. Neither of them took notice of the guards shocked looks when they saw Prosper, assuming that they were surprised to see a tiger rather than something else. Something bigger than either of them could even imagine.

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

“I have an island?” Draco and Harry sat in front of the Black family goblin, Snarlnok. The second Draco had entered the requested private room; the goblin had instructed Harry to change forms, insisting that no one could be able to detect his magic in this room. They had then gone through various documents about the Black finance and they were finally one to the different Black properties when, “I mean, sure people can have bloody castles, but come on really? An island?” Draco felt as disbelieving as Harry sounded. Malfoys were rich, no one could dispute that fact, but the Blacks were richer, and now that Harry had the Black family fortune and the Potter one… well, his great- great- great- great- grandkids wouldn’t have to work if they didn’t want to, that’s how long the fortunes would last. But even for the richest family on the British Isles an island seemed a little excessive. “It is a fairly small island, Duke Marvell,” That was another thing, Harry Potter, the boy who lived to look perpetually shagged, had a Duke’s title. The Marvell family was a neutral one and was once the biggest names in all of Britain, hailing from Ireland and owning most of Ireland and Scotland. They had a castle in Ireland and had investments in many different businesses, both magical and muggle, all across the world. And they, for some insane reason lost to Draco, had left everything they had to Harry.

As it turns out, the Sirius Black had a left Draco and his mother a house and money, in case they ever needed to get away from Lucius, the will had said. The will also stated, in not so many words, that Dumbledore could get the fuck out of the ancestral home of the Blacks and could use somewhere else for Order meetings.

Snarlnok cleared his throat, stopping Harry from his mumblings about islands and titles, and, drawing the attention of the two boys in front of him, as well as the two goblin guards at the door. He tapped a clawed finger twice on the table and Draco and Harry watched as part of the desktop melted away, leaving a small compartment that was usually hidden open. Snarlnok reached inside the compartment, drawing out a highly decorated, wooden carved box, roughly the size of a shoebox. He opened the box, not showing the contents to the boys for a few seconds before swivelling it around. Draco and Harry leaned forward, and saw two eggs, one a bright shimmering silver and the other a dark glinting gold, nestled in what looked like a faintly glowing mass of swirling coloured solidified clouds. Snarlnok cleared his throat again, and when the two boys looked up, they saw he looked unusually grave.

“Duke Marvell, we need to talk about the Dragon Age Prophecy.”

\- .. --. . .-. --..-- / - .. --. . .-.

**Author's Note:**

> This is also up on Fanfiction under the same title. My name on there is 'I'm secretly annoyed with you'. Don't exactly know how to work this yet so forgive me if I do something stupid.


End file.
